What is the best Christmas episode of Bewitched?

Remember the episodes dedicated to Christmas and discover Elizabeth Montgomery's favorite, as well as the fan-favorite of the series

Christmas is a widely recognized time for television programming, with channels across the globe creating specials for families to enjoy. In Bewitched, the popular TV series that ran for eight years, the festive season was no exception. During this period, Christmas specials were frequently produced, featuring playful and memorable episodes that included everything from trips to the North Pole to special appearances by Santa Claus himself.

During the 1970s, Bewitched was not afraid to tackle current issues relevant to the time. One of the most noteworthy episodes of the entire series was a Christmas special that boldly tackled the issue of racism on national television. This effort not only generated widespread attention in the media but also earned the show a prestigious Emmy award, highlighting the courage of the producers and the social relevance of the message.

In celebration of the upcoming Christmas season, we've compiled a list of episodes centered around the holiday theme. These episodes have been ranked based on user reviews on IMDb, a website dedicated to evaluating film and television productions. We invite you to take a look at these classic episodes from Bewitched.

In fifth place in the ranking is Vision of Sugar Plums. This episode is pretty much a re-run of the one with the same name from the first season. However, we cannot call it a total re-run because there is a short unreleased scene that is shown after the opening credits. This episode was aired on December 23, 1965, and it seems that it was reused while Elizabeth was on maternity leave. Since this episode appears last in the ranking and does not bring any major changes compared to the original, we will discuss it again when it reappears in this special Christmas list.

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Santa Comes To Visit and Stays and Stays was first broadcast on December 18, 1968, during the sixth year of the series, which marked the introduction of Dick Sargent in the role of Darrin Stephens. The plot revolves around Esmeralda, whose sneezes often conjure up unwanted objects that disappear as quickly as they appear. However, during this episode, one of her sneezes brings forth Santa Claus, causing a more significant problem that needs to be resolved.

Santa Claus stays too long at Samantha and Darrin's house, causing them trouble as they have to hide him from neighbors and explain his presence to anyone who might see him. This poses a challenge for Santa, who has a lot of work to do before Christmas. To save the holiday, Samantha decides to move the North Pole to Morning Glory Circle, but this causes further problems as she has to keep Santa hidden from Gladys Kravitz, their nosy neighbor, and Larry Tate, Darrin's boss.

Actor Ronald Long played the role of Santa Claus, and in the same year, he appeared as a giant in the season premiere episode of Sam and the Beanstalk. Long is also remembered fondly by fans of the series for his portrayal of King Henry VIII in a double-episode premiere during the eighth season.

In the Christmas special, the series ends with a different scene than usual. We see Sam and Darrin kissing through the window as the camera moves away and snow falls. Elizabeth Montgomery provides a voiceover saying, "From all of us to all of you, a very Merry Christmas."

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The first Christmas episode of the series was aired on December 24, 1964. It is ranked third and has a score of 8.6 among IMDB users. In the plot, the Stephens family agrees to let Michael, a young orphan, stay with them during the Christmas holidays. Although Darrin tries to dress up as Santa Claus to deliver his presents, Michael, who is smarter than his age, doesn't fall for it. Samantha comes to the rescue and offers to take Michael and the skeptical Darrin to the North Pole to visit Santa's workshop.

Actor Bill Daily made a special appearance that marked his TV debut. He later became widely known for his role as Major Healey, Major Nelson's best friend in I Dream of Jeannie (1965-1970). In this particular appearance, Daily played the new adoptive father of a little orphan boy who was spending Christmas with the Stephens. Interestingly, the actor had revealed that he had adopted a child earlier in his personal life.

In this episode, the role of Santa Claus is played by actor Cecil Kellaway, who also appeared in the film "I Married a Witch" (1942). According to Sol Saks, this film was one of the inspirations behind the creation of Bewitched. The English title of the episode, "Vision of Sugar Plums", is taken from the poem "A Visit from St. Nicholas" written by Clement Clark in 1823.

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This episode is reportedly Elizabeth Montgomery's favorite of the entire series. It was originally aired on December 24, 1970, and has a story that touches both in front of and behind the camera.

In the story, racism is openly discussed as Tabitha desires to be Lisa's sister, who is an African-American girl. Tabitha casts a spell, resulting in Lisa getting white marbles and Tabitha getting black ones. Another misunderstanding leads to Darrin's client wanting to withdraw from the account as he believes Lisa to be his daughter.

The episode was written by a group of 26 African-American students from a public school located in suburban Los Angeles. The fact that these students wrote the script makes the story even more special. When their teacher, Marcella Saunders, joined the class, she was surprised to find out that only 44% of the students knew how to read, and even fewer understood the text. To motivate them, she challenged them to write a script for Bewitched. When the script was completed, their teacher submitted it to the channel as a gift. The story behind the script enchanted Elizabeth Montgomery and her husband and director, William Asher.

Afterward, the students were invited to tour the SET, and one of the writers was tasked with adapting it into an official Christmas episode of the series. Sisters at Heart was created with a focus on innocence and truth, discussing an important topic. In 1971, it was awarded the Governor's Award at the 23rd Primetime Emmys.

The Bewitched 60th Anniversary Special documentary explores this beloved episode in greater detail. Click the video below to watch the excerpt:

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Ranked first with a score of 8.7 from IMDb users, this episode stands as the undisputed fan favorite. Originally aired on December 21, 1967, Humbug Not to Be Spoken is one of Bewitched’s most iconic Christmas episodes.

The story follows Samantha and an extremely miserly client of Darrin on Christmas Eve as they journey to the North Pole, where they come face to face with Santa Claus himself. The episode closely echoes the world introduced in A Vision of Sugar Plums, when Samantha took the young orphan Michael to the North Pole to protect his faith and innocence, reinforcing one of the series’ most cherished themes, the power of imagination and kindness.

Part of the fourth season lineup, the episode arrives during a particularly creative period for the series, fully settled into its color era and enjoying greater visual and narrative freedom. Directed by William Asher and written by Howard Leeds, the episode blends humor, fantasy, and a classic moral lesson by turning Darrin’s client into a familiar figure from Christmas fables, a man hardened by greed who is ultimately confronted by the true spirit of the holiday.

To this day, Humbug Not to Be Spoken remains one of the most beloved and memorable episodes of the series, frequently appearing on lists of the greatest Christmas specials in classic television and standing as a perfect example of the balance between magic, emotion, and holiday spirit that defined Bewitched throughout its eight year run.

What's of favorite Christmas Episode?

• S01E15 Vision of Sugar Plums
• S04E16 Humbug Not To Be Spoken
• S0614 Santa Comes To Visit and Stays and Stays
• S07E13 Sister At Heart